The Nuthouse

The Wingnuts on Monday signed Jose Amado and Leivi Ventura and released outfielder Heath Keel. Meanwhile, David Gates was put on the seven-day disabled list due to a heat-related illness suffered this past weekend.

Amado will be in his second stint with the Wingnuts this season. He injured his knee a couple weeks ago and was released because it was thought the injury would keep him out for a signifcant amount of time. But he got a clean bill of health and was resigned.

Ventura was in the Mets organization for four seasons before recently being let go. He never made it the Class A level, which, at 24, he had become too old for. Saw him take BP yesterday and he has a nice, smooth swing. He’ll be in right field tonight while Amado will serve as the designated hitter.

Keel’s release is interesting. He has been in a major slump as of late, which followed a three-game stretch or so where he crushed the ball. But he’s been figured out — throw him an off-speed pitch away and he’ll chase it. It probably would’ve only gotten worse for Keel this season, so Wichita cut bait.

The moves seem to boost the offense, though, so we’ll see if the additions of Amado and Ventura pay immediate dividends tonight when the Wingnuts play Shreveport in the first of a three-game series at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.